Just two days before the anniversary of Jackie Robinson making history by integrating professional baseball, Tiger Woods roared his way into history by becoming the first African-American male to become "master" of The Masters tournament.
He's being compared to the likes of great golf pros like Jack Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd. But there is one difference: He's black.
Although Woods disputed this classification because of his mixed ancestry, he can't dispute the fact that he, along with other blacks, has changed the face of sports.
The world sat back and watched as Woods putted his way into the history books, and again I saw the white world show support for the black athlete.
"Eerie" is how Woods described the fact that he won The Masters Tournament just two days before the 50th anniversary of Robinson's breaking of the "color barrier" of Major League Baseball.
Woods, like Michael Jordan, has single-handedly changed the face of his game, which in this case is golf. Although it may seem unlikely for the sport of golf, I am willing to bet there are a lot children walking around wanting to be like Tiger.
And what about the millions of men, both black and white, who sat enthralled as the young Tiger performed and made history on a course that just 21 years before didn't allow minorities to play there?
One of the greatest things I love about this great country of ours is the fact that things are constantly changing - and, in this case, for the better.
Just think, only 21 years ago, around the time that Woods was born, Lee Elder and other black golf players weren't allowed to play on the course on which Woods made history.
But I wonder what type of support the young Woods would have gotten from white America if he were, oh, say, your average inner-city kid who had just gotten his G.E.D. and was about to enter trade school.
What if Woods were just your average kid from an urban neighborhood and school who wasn't so hot on the golf course or on the basketball court, but had academic skills that surpassed most of the players in any professional sport.
This is not to take away any credit from this young man, because, believe me, he did a hell of a job on Sunday and throughout his career. However, it seems that unless a brother is slamming a ball in a hoop, stealing bases or, in this case, putting along a course, he can't get recognition from white Americans by just being your average Joe.
Yes, it is great that Woods has broken the records and "color barriers" that had existed in golf, but what about the businessmen, the bus drivers, the men who aren't worth millions but worth much, much more to their families and communities who have yet to break the "color barriers" that exist?
If it is not about color, let's just recognize the great accomplishments made on a daily basis by ordinary men.
Roberson is a sophomore
journalism major.